For the second time in three years, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs face off on the biggest stage. They are two of the winningest franchises of the decade and have only lost a combined 5 games this season. Let’s review how these teams got to his point.
The NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles looked to flush their disappointing end to 2023 heading into the 2024 offseason. In 2023, the Eagles limped into the playoffs dropping 5 of their last 6 regular season games. They would be defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the postseason for the second time in three years and would have to address what led to their horrific ending to the season. In the 2023 exit interview, GM Howie Roseman spoke about his confidence in the team and his willingness to “field the best possible team.” He understood that it was changes that needed to be made, and he would get to work immediately.
12 days after the loss, Roseman addressed the obvious issue, poor coaching. Veteran coach Vic Fangio was named the defensive coordinator, and a week later Kellen Moore was named the offensive coordinator. Roseman would sign eventual all-pro players in Saquon Barkley and Zach Baun, and draft the future of the Eagle defense in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. He would also bring back dynamic playmaker C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Gardner-Johnson was a key contributor to the Eagles 2022 postseason run, bringing great ball skills and attitude to the defense.
The Eagles started the season 2-2 and then won 12 of their next 13 games, which included a 10 game winning streak. After a shaky start to the season, fans were skeptical of everybody from the front office to the players. After the week 4 loss to the Buccaneers, Philadelphians were calling to fire Nick Sirianni. The Eagles stayed focused on keeping the main thing the main thing and became closer together as a team. Their confidence went to another level, as they finished the season seventh in offensive yards per game and first in defensive yards allowed per game.
The Chiefs concluded 2023 defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58, winning 25-22 in OT. This would be their third Super Bowl victory in five years and their second straight.
The defending champions did not skip a beat heading in 2024, as they started the season 9-0. Two time MVP Patrick Mahomes did not have his best season, but the team stepped up when it mattered most.
The Chiefs have won an NFL record 17 straight one possession games. This season 13 of their league leading 17 wins were won within one possession, with their most recent win being of that variety, defeating the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the conference championship game.
The Chiefs receive a lot of hate from the public, but true football fans can not deny that we are watching something special developing in Kansas City. The Chiefs have been to the conference championship game 7 consecutive years and have hosted 6 of them. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid is not new to success in the postseason, leading his team to an impressive 17-3 postseason record in the last seven years. The Chiefs have made it a routine to make the Super Bowl as this is their fifth appearance in the last 6 years.
The Chiefs look to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, while the Eagles look to win their second Super Bowl in five years and seek revenge for their controversial loss in Super Bowl 57. Will this be another classic? Find out on Sunday, February 9 at 6:30 PM ET as the teams head down to Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana in the biggest game of the year.
Thank For Reading!
-Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)
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